Some score points, post PRs, but men's track finishes last at MACs

This weekend's men's track and field team did not come away from the Indoor Mid-American Conference Championships victorious.

However, the young team gained a chance to grow.

"These kids, within their youthfulness, grew together through adversity and trying to work together with what they had and putting out everything they could." said track and field director Willie Randolph.

CMU finished in fifth-place with 39 points. falling to host Eastern Michigan, who scored 157.5 points, to make sure the trophy remained in Ypsilanti.

The Chippewas relied on the performances of a few athletes who were able to score for the team. Sophomore Dee Smith scored eight points by placing second in the men’s long jump with a mark of 23 feet, 4.50 inches.

Also earning points was the effort given by the men's distance medley relay who finished second with a time of 10:03.45, earning the team eight points. The relay team made up by senior Nate Sanchez, junior Ben Wynsma, sophomore Anderson Lee and junior Clay Holman scored eight points.

Wynsma additionally scored six points for his third-place finish in the mile, with a time of 4:13.06. Running alongside him was sophomore Ethan Lievense, who finished sixth with a time of 4:15.47, scoring one point.

Sophomore Kyle Stacks scratched from the mile and the 3000m race on Saturday, running only in the 5000m run. He took ninth with a time of 14:54.66, not scoring in the event.

Stacks was preceded by Lievense who finished in fifth, at 14:39.61. Sophomore Nate Ghena placed seventh, with 14:49.60, a new personal record. With Lievense, the two combined for five points.

Lievense also ran the 3000m final, where he finished seventh with a time of 8:35.15. Close behind was sophomore Monte Scott with a time of 8:38.54 and a spot in eighth place.

In the 800m final, Sanchez took sixth after a 1:53.69 run to score one point.

Senior Alex Rose placed fourth in the shot put with a heave of 56 feet, 1.75 inches, earning four points.

Rose also finished fifth in the weight throw with a personal best throw of 57 feet, 4.75 inche. Ahead of him was junior Calvin Jackson who took fifth with a toss of 59 feet, 1.50 inches. Together they earned three points for the team.

Freshman Craig Mauldin was another of several athletes to set a personal record this weekend with a mark of 47 feet, 1 inch in the triple jump. Mauldin finished sixth, scoring one point.

Junior Tim Reynolds finished fifth in the heptathlon after scoring 5064 points and winning the 1000m race. Reynolds picked up two points for the team.

In the 60m dash, junior Ross Parsons finished fifth with a time of 6.93, scoring two points. He also took seventh in the 200m final with a time of 22.21.

The men's 4x4 relay placed fifth and scored two points for CMU, with a time of 3:21.68. The relay was comprised of Parsons, Holman and sophomores Lee and Clinton Cargill.

"We saw a lot of good growth today, and we hope the athletes understand that,” Randolph said.